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LeBron James: Marketing Genius?

Posted on 07/12/2010

There have been a lot of questions in the NBA this summer with several stars becoming free agents. Arguably the biggest question has been where will LeBron James go?

While the rest of the stars had their agents tell the media their future plans, LeBron took a unique approach by hosting an hour-long special on ESPN. So what can you learn about marketing your business from King James?

Make some buzz. A lot of people said LeBron took it too far by turning a typically low-key announcement into a special event. But LeBron’s approach created a lot of buzz, not only for him, but for the NBA, the team’s city and the team he signs. For your business, consider how you can take a typical approach to a new product announcement or promotion and put a spin on it to set up apart your competition.

Make some difference. LeBron gave all the proceeds of the event to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Think about a promotion and partner with a nonprofit organization that compliments. Give a portion of your sales to gain additional positive publicity and help your community in the process.

Make some friends. LeBron recently joined Twitter and in a matter of days had nearly 400 thousand followers. Now he’s interacting with fans on a regular basis. Consider ways to incorporate these social media tools into your marketing mix to build your own fan base.

While LeBron undeniably has talent on the court, he’s also got mad skills in marketing. We all can’t be superstar basketball players, but there is hope for us to apply some of his marketing skills to our business and see success. So start working on your game plan today to bring the heat to your marketing.